


Lie To Me

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [95]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s07e15 Chimera (Stargate), F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 22:49:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18353324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: Jack hovered outside Sam’s lab as he figured out how best to start the conversation. Usually, he’d just walk in and crack some kind of crappy joke to make her smile before he’d reveal the true reason for dropping by. But this time, he wasn’t really in the mood for a chat.





	Lie To Me

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Tell A Lie Day’ (4 April). Episode tag for season 7 ‘Chimera’.

Jack hovered outside Sam’s lab as he figured out how best to start the conversation. Usually, he’d just walk in and crack some kind of crappy joke to make her smile before he’d reveal the true reason for dropping by. But this time, he wasn’t really in the mood for a chat. It wasn’t the major’s fault, it was just –

He ran a hand over his face and sighed. He’d promised Hammond that he would have a talk with Carter, so here he was, having finally tracked her down. He was surprised she wasn’t in the infirmary, but if it was Sam’s decision to leave, he didn’t necessarily mind.

The sound of typing reached his ears and he moved to stand in the doorway.

“Carter?”

Sam continued to type and he frowned at the way she stared resolutely at the computer screen because, for a moment, memories of the Entity flashed through his mind. He repressed the urge to shudder.

_“Carter!”_

She jumped at her name. “Sir?”

“You alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his BDUs and came to a stop at the other side of the bench.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough to wonder what’s on your mind.”

She blushed at his words but didn’t respond. Instead, she let her gaze return to the computer screen.

“So, whatcha doin’?”

“I’m putting together my report for General Hammond.”

“Can’t it wait?”

“I’d rather complete it now, while the details are still fresh, sir.”

“Carter,” he sighed as he cast a quick glance around the lab. “I’ve known you for seven years and not _once_ have you forgotten any detail from any mission.”

Sam pursed her lips as she resumed typing. “Did Janet send you?”

He regarded her closely. The doc had voiced concerns about Sam being quiet during her post-mission check, but she hadn’t told him to go and find his teammate to see if she was okay, so –

“No,” he finally answered.

“Daniel?”

“Nope.”

“General Hammond?”

“ _I_ came to see you,” he hedged.

She finally tore her gaze away from her work and looked at him. “With all due respect, sir, why –”

“Am I here?” he interrupted. “I’d like to know that too, Carter.”

When she frowned, he pulled a hand from his pocket and gestured vaguely to her. “Care to tell me why you’re in your lab while your – uh – Pete is in the infirmary?”

He tried to hide his grimace at the detective’s name but he wasn’t able to miss the fire in Sam’s eyes.

“Carter?”

“No, sir. I don’t.”

“OK,” he replied slowly. He rested his elbows on the workbench and leaned in. “I could make it order.”

“Sir,” she sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Pete.”

The wince that immediately followed the cop’s name told Jack that she hadn’t actually meant to say it out loud. He drummed his fingers on the surface of the bench as he thought of what to say next.

“Carter –”

“The mission was compromised,” she interrupted. “And it was my fault.”

“It wasn’t –”

“I’ve already apologized to the General and I’ll understand if –”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“– but sir.”

“Ah! Carter,” he said firmly, lifting both his index fingers in the air to emphasize his point. _“Stop.”_

She snapped her mouth closed at his order and he sighed. “Meet me topside in ten,” he added quietly before he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

As Jack made his way to the surface, he knew they couldn’t leave the base in order to have this conversation, but he could do the next best thing and give them as much privacy as possible. He walked through the parking lot and towards a line of trees to the far side before he reached a small clearing. The space was hidden in the side of the mountain and surrounded by trees, while three large boulders sat in a triangular formation where someone could sit and overlook downtown Colorado Springs. He chose the boulder furthest away and waited.

He’d only been there for a few minutes when he felt her presence behind him, but didn’t hear her move. Resting his elbows on his knees, he kept his attention on the valley below.

“I don’t bite,” he said quietly. “Take a load off.”

Sam chose the boulder to his left and they sat in silence for a few moments before she spoke.

“What’s going on, sir?”

“I didn’t think this was a conversation you’d want to have on base.”

“Colonel –”

“Take it easy, Carter. I didn’t bring you up here to chew you out.”

“You didn’t? Then why –”

“Because I haven’t seen you this pissed since your run-in with McKay a couple of years ago. Something’s bothering you,” he added when Sam didn’t say anything.

“That’s an understatement,” she muttered.

Jack studied the woman by his side closely and frowned at the worry and anger and disappointment he saw in her eyes.

“What’s wrong, Sam?”

“ _Really,_ sir?”

He decided to ignore the look of total disbelief she threw him and waited for her to continue. “The mission was compromised, Osiris almost got away, and Pete –”

She stopped abruptly and shook her head.

“I’m not great at this whole – talking – thing,” Jack sighed. “But I need you to talk to me.”

“I don’t think I can, sir,” she whispered.

“It’s either me or Hammond. Your choice.”

He held Sam’s gaze before he reached out and tapped the back of his fingers gently against her knee. “Talk to me, Sam.”

“He should never have been there,” she admitted, her gaze falling to her hands where they rested in her lap. “I don’t – I swear, colonel, I never told him where I was going.”

“I know.”

“He had to have followed me from the base, but in order for him to do that, he must have followed me from my house.”

Jack heard the slight waver in her voice and he had to stamp down on the anger rising within him because of Pete’s actions.

“When he left yesterday morning,” she continued. “I thought he was going back to Denver.”

Jack let his attention return to the valley. “Is that what he told you?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Sam’s nod. “He said he was going back to file a report.”

“Any idea why he would follow you?”

“No, sir.”

Her hesitation made him suspicious and he glanced to his left.

“He wanted to know about my job,” she sighed. “I explained it was classified and that I couldn’t, but –”

“He didn’t buy it.”

“I guess not.”

“Isn’t Pete a cop?”

Sam closed her eyes. “Yes, sir.”

“Then he should know what classified means.”

“You’d think so.”

He let Sam’s admission hang in the air between them as he decided whether now was the time to press ahead with what Hammond wanted to know.

“Carter,” he started. “Do you trust me?”

“Sir?”

He met her gaze and leaned in closer. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“OK,” he nodded. “Do you know an Agent Dave Farrity?”

Sam shook her head and Jack grimaced. “Yeah, I was afraid of that.”

“Why? What’s wrong, sir?”

“I had a little chat with Hammond earlier, before I found you in your lab,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “There was a background check carried out on you yesterday. Top down, global agency search, the works.”

Sam’s eyes widened at his words. “And you think this Agent Farrity was responsible?”

“We’ve confirmed it was him,” Jack nodded. “Your name flagged up as soon as it was entered into the system. Farrity didn’t realize he was dealing with matters of national security until someone from the SGC contacted him.”

“Why was he running a check on me?”

Jack paused. “He said he was following an order.”

“From who?”

He met Sam’s gaze, but before he could tell her who was behind it, he saw the moment she pieced it together.

“Pete,” she whispered. “Why would he – why would he lie to me?”

Jack winced at her question because he had no idea why the cop would lie to Sam. It was _Samantha Carter_ , and if he wasn’t able to trust her and accept her word, then he sure as hell didn’t deserve her. Despite his feelings on the matter, however, he wasn’t sure it was his place to tell her to dump the idiot, so he did the only thing he could. He told her the truth.

“I don’t know,” he offered, “but maybe that’s something you need to ask Pete.”

He saw her eyes glisten with unshed tears and he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and comfort her, to take away the pain her boyfriend had caused.

“C’mere,” he murmured as he got to his feet.

He wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against the top of her head.

“For what it’s worth,” he said, angling his lips next to ear. “I’m sorry, Sam.”

She pressed closer and tightened her arms around him. “So am I,” she whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> OK, so this episode just makes me mad. 
> 
> I get that the writers were trying to develop Sam’s character into something other than a ‘soldier’ and ‘scientist’, and that’s fine, but I just cannot correlate the fact that Pete lied to her, ordered a background check, followed her to a stakeout and even managed to get himself shot – and Sam _still_ stays with him. 
> 
> Honestly, it gives me the rage.


End file.
